Revolving chessboard and the like



G. L. T. DENNISS.

REVOLVING CHESSBOARD AND THE LIKE. APPLICATION FILED MAR-27, 1920.

1,374,139. Patented Apf. 5,1921.

INVENTOR UNITED STATS GEORGE LAKE TALBOT DENNISS, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

REVOLVING CHESSBOARD AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 5, 1921.

Application filed March 27, 1920. Serial No. 369,383.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Gnonen LAKE Tensor DENNISS, l1eut.-colonel, (ret1red,) a sub ect of the King of Great Britain and Ireland residing at London England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Revolving Chessboards and the like; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a new or improved revolving chess board and has for its object to enable one or more than two players to move the board into such a position that the movements of the chessmen can be effected and the position of the opponents chessmen judged without the player or players moving, while the chessmen are preferably secured against displacement when the board is rotated.

According to the invention the chess board is adapted to be secured to the upper surface of a table or disk adapted to rotate about a vertical axis. The table may be round or rectangular in shape and is provided with one or more slidable or pivotal clips, which may or may not be spring controlled, said clips being preferably four in number, adapted to engage the four outer edges of the chess board. The table or disk has secured to its under surface a stud or pin adapted to extend downwardly and form a running fit in a sleeve or bush secured to the supper surface of a stand or frame of suitable construction.

In order that the table may be freely rotated, the top of the stand or frame is pro vided with a plurality of rollers or the like, preferably four in number and arranged radially of the central axis of the rotatable table.

The upper surface of the chess board may be provided with studs or projections arranged centrally within each square, said studs being arranged to engage a recess formed in the bottom of each of the chess men, so as to prevent the latter becoming displaced when the board is rotated.

In order that the invention may be readily understood reference is made to the accompanying drawings forming part of the specification in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the rotatable table, with chess board removed therefrom.

Fig. 2 is a vertical section showing the chess board in position.

Figs. 3 and f are perspective views of the stub and socket secured to the rotating table and its supporting frame respectively.

Figs. 5 and 6 are section and plan views respectively of one form of fastening means for securing the chess board to the table.

Fig. 7 is a view of a modified form of fastening means.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the base of one of the chess men, while Fig. 9 is a perspective view of part of the chessboard.

The apparatus consists of a circular or rectangular table or disk 0. to the under surface of which is attached a stub or pin Z2 preferably formed with a flange b by which it is secured to the table by screws. This stub forms a running fit in a socket member 0 having a flange c by which it is secured to the upper surface of a frame or stand d.

The rotating table a is further supported by a series of rollers 6 located between the under surface of the table a, and the top of the stand or frame (Z. Each of these rollers is mounted in brackets c and arranged to rotate about a horizontal axis extending radially from the center of the table a. In the construction illustrated I have shown four supporting rollers each disposed equidistant from the central axis of the table a and from each other, the axis of each roller being at right angles to the axes of the rollers on each side thereof.

The rollers are preferably of considerable length, say for instance of a length equal to one quarter of the diameter of the table a, so as to form a steady and effective support for the table during its rotation.

The chessboard f is adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the table a and the latter is preferably provided with fastening means for securing the chess board in position.

The fastening means may comprise four slidable or pivotal clips which may or may not be spring controlled, and they are preferably arranged so as to engage the four edges of the chess board, as shown in Fig. 1. One form of slidable clip is shown to an enlarged scale at Figs. 5 and 6. The upper surface of the table is provided with suitable radial recesses or grooves ft in which is slidably mounted a member is bent over at its outer end k to form a clip or the like to engage the edge of the chess board. The member 7a is provided with a longitudinal slot 76 through which project two pins or buttons m, each driven into the material of the table in such a position as to limit the extent of movement of the member k. With this form of fastening each of the clips are moved outwardly, and after the chess board has been placed in position the members are pushed in until their bent over ends Z0 engage the edge of the board.

In the modified construction of fastening shown in Fig.7 the clips comprise an L shaped member a pivotally mounted on a .support'o driven into the outer edge of the table a, the support 0 may be in the form of a staple of U-shape, the member a being mounted on the central portion connecting the parallel limbs. The member m is adapted to be maintained in either of its extreme positions by a spring 79 the free end of which bears against the curved surface of the member a as shown in Fig. 7, the two extreme positions being shown in full and dotted lines respectively. With this form of fastening each of the clips are moved to the position shown in full lines, the chess board f is placed in position on the table a and the ,clips rotated in the direction of the arrow to the position shown in dotted lines.

In order to afford additional support to the chessmen when on the chess board, each square of the latter is preferably provided with a stud or projection 9 adapted to engage a corresponding recess r in the base 0 of each of the chessmen, as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

If desired the rotating table or disk a may itself constitute the chess board.

Suitable means may, if necessary be provided for holding the table against rotation, such means being operated to release the table when it is desired to rotate the same,

but in practice such locking means will not be found necessary.

The details of construction may be modified, if desired, without departing from the principle of the invention.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States ofAmerica l. A revolving chess board, comprising a supporting frame, a rotatable table on said frame adapted to rotate about a vertical axis, members mounted rotatably between the upper surface of such frame and the under surface of said table, and fastening means on said table for securing the chess board thereto, for the purposes described.

2. A revolving chess board comprising a supporting frame, a table on said frame, a

' equidistant from said socket and from each other, rollers mounted in said brackets adapted to rotate about axes extending radially from said socket, a table above said frame, a stub secured to the underside of said table forming a running fit in said socket when supported by said rollers, and

clips arranged equidistant from the central axis and from each other for engaging the edges of a chess board, for the purposes described.

7 4:. A revolving chess board comprising a supporting frame, a table mounted rotatably on said frame so as to rotate about a vertical axis, rollers arranged radially of said axis and adapted to support said table at points equidistant from its central axis; and a plurality of radially movable clips arranged to be moved in one position to engage the edges of a chess board and to be moved to another position to enable said chess board to be removed from said table, for the purposes described. V V

5. A revolving chess board comprising a supporting frame, a table rotatable about a vertical axis on said frame, rollers disposed radially and adapted to support said table at points equidistant from its central axis, grooves in the upper surface of said table and extending radially inward from its outer periphery, slidable members mounted in said grooves, clips at the outer ends of said slidable members adapted to grip the edges of the chess board and means for lineiting the extent of movement of the said slidable members for the purposes described.

6. A revolving chess board, comprising in combination a supporting frame, a table r0 tatable abouta vertical axis on said frame, rollers disposed radially between said frame and the under surface of said table and adapted to support said table at points equi- In witness whereof I afiix my signature. GEORGE LAKE TALBOT nrmnss. 

